


Finding the Right Words

by espioc



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Custody Battle, Past Abuse, Starscream trying to be a good parent, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, Transformer Sparklings, Wheeljack being a good boyfriend, after college AU, eventually, single parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-05-28 08:01:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15044336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/espioc/pseuds/espioc
Summary: After College AU. Starscream has a sparkling. Wheeljack wants to help. They become room mates. It goes from there.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *sighs*

Wheeljack wasn’t one for parties. He loved drinking and watching some idiot down a keg as much as the next guy, but Wheeljack was more of the sit at home type. Sit at home and throw crap together until it blows up in his face. Now that was a fun night.

But Wheeljack’s friends wouldn’t let him do that. Funny, considering they ditched him almost as soon as they arrived. It had been hours since then and Wheeljack hadn’t taken part in any of the games or stupidity. The only thing keeping him around really were the free booze and good show. Overcharge college student were just a treat to watch.

Wheeljack took a seat on a bench sitting against the edge of the frat house. Not his frat house, and not one of the frat houses of his friends, just a frat house. It was known for having some of the best parties off campus, and was a go to spot for end of the year celebration. This was the biggest party yet. Most of them had passed their exams, and graduation was just a week away. They’d made it. Which meant getting hammered was the next logical step.

Wheeljack looked out over the yard. Lights and lanterns skewed about the lawn. Cups and ping pong balls littered the yard. A dildo was sticking straight up in the middle of a picnic table that was graffitied beyond recognition. Beside it and against it sat a couple bots sticking sensors in their head for a high.

Wheeljack leaned back. He placed his elbows on the back of the bench and leaned his head back to stare at the sky for a moment. It was later in the night. Wheeljack could hear some very animated interface coming from the window right above him. Hookups were beginning and ending. Some people were taking a nap in the yard. Someone else was sleeping on the porch. Yet Wheeljack wouldn’t say the party was winding down.

Wheeljack’s attention was taken away from the sky when someone sat on the bench. Wheeljack looked off to the side, keeping his head back.

It was a seeker, Starscream, if Wheeljack remembered right. He had been in a couple of Wheeljack’s classes, they had done a project together. They’d exchanged a few words, but only ever had one conversation, which was barely a conversation. Starscream was a strong build, but constructed on the slimmer side. He was taller than Wheeljack, and had a sharp handsomeness about him.

Starscream tapped his talons against his crossed arm, half a sneer wearing his lip.

“You look thrilled to be here,” Wheeljack said, lifting his head off the back of the bench.

“You too,” Starscream deadpanned, checking out his talons.

“Not much for parties?”

“I hate parties. But I have- something to take care of.”

“Ah. Alright.”

There was a long pause. Starscream looked around, leaned over and checked the back door. He huffed, settling back into the bench.

“I thought you didn’t like parties either,” Starscream said.

“I don’t. Buddies dragged me out here.”

“Any of your “buddies” the saps passed out on the lawn?”

Wheeljack took a moment to survey the bodies.

“Nah. Doesn’t look like it. Probably upstairs fragging or getting fragged.”

“You’re not going to make any moves on me are you?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“Don’t you got a boyfriend?”

“We broke up.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t feel bad.”

“Who uh-”

It was mutual- sort of.”

“Ah.”

Starscream paused, and looked around again before leaning back. He crossed his arms again.

“I cheated on him.”

“Oh- uh-”

“Don’t think of it like that. You have no idea what our relationship was like.”

“That’s- yeah. You’re right, I don’t.”

A loud, very satisfied sound, came from the window above. Starscream and Wheeljack looked up.

“Sounds like they’re having fun,” Wheeljack said.

Starscream set his gaze forward. “Probably too much fun.”

Wheeljack chuckled. “Yeah, hopin’ they’re usin’ protection.”

Starscream’s pedes shuffled under the bench. He swallowed thickly, his gaze resting on the ground. “I should go,” he said, standing. He paused, turning slightly to Wheeljack.

“Well, really everyone should go,” he waved his finger towards the lawn. “Especially everyone on the lawn,” he waved, strutting away. “See you at graduation.”

Wheeljack flicked his hand. “Yeah, see ya.”

Wheeljack didn’t spend much more time at the party. He threw away the remainder of his drink and headed home on the verge of being buzzed and ready to go to bed.

  


* * *

  


Graduation was boring. A lot of talking. A lot of waiting. A lot more talking. Congratulations for everyone who passed with flying colors, and those who barely passed. Congratulations for spending way too much time and money, and putting way too much effort into it.

Leg room was minimal, and why they had to use organic material for their gowns was beyond Wheeljack. It was itchy and got caught in his plating. Wheeljack spread his legs out as much as he could. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. He’d been sitting in that seat for almost an hour now. After another bout of daydreaming Wheeljack noticed the dark helm in front of him. Wheeljack cocked his head. It looked familiar.

“Oh,” Wheeljack whispered, sitting up slightly.

Starscream. Starscream was sitting in front of him. Wheeljack sat up and tucked his feet under the chair. He leaned forward ready to tap Starscream on the shoulder, just say hi, give himself something to do.

Wheeljack’s hand paused when he spotted something peeking out over Starscream’s shoulder. Something kneaded at Starscream’s gown. Starscream looked at his shoulder and placed his hand over the tiny head resting there.

Wheeljack leaned back. He watched tiny chubby fingers grab at the sleeve of Starscream’s gown. The little thing in Starscream’s arm seemed to be making a fuss. Starscream shifted it to a cradling position. The squirming creature in Starscream’s arms whined.

“No no no no no,” Starscream whispered. “Please, please don’t cry.”

Starscream unzipped the front of his gown and pulled the fueling port from his side to plug into the sparklings belly. The little guy squirmed but soon settled.

Wheeljack couldn’t take his eyes off of it.

A sparkling. Starscream had a sparkling. Which he brought to graduation. Wheeljack blew air through his mask.

The sparkling stayed quiet for a majority of the ceremony, even while they were on stage taking their diplomas. One of the deans waved at the little tyke, and Starscream smiled. He took his diploma without a hitch, and the ceremony moved on. Afterwards everyone moved to the hallways and the gym and the yard, chatting and making plans with their family and friends.

Wheeljack’s friends tried to pull him aside, convince him to to go the bar and grab a few drinks. Wheeljack shooed them off and told them he’d meet them later. He weaved through the crowds and kept a close eye out for a white pair of wings.

He spotted them outside, sitting on a bench, away from most of the crowds.

“Hey,” Wheeljack said, trying to look at anything but the sparkling cuddled in Starscream’s arms.

Starscream looked up briefly before looking back to his sparkling.

“Oh, hey,” he said. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, you too,”

Wheeljack bent down a little bit to get a good look at the sparkling. “Who’s this little guy?” he asked, waving with his finger.

Starscream dusted a bit of dust off of the new sparks cheek. “This is Joule.”

“Aww, that’s cute. How old?”

“A week and a day.”

“Oh wow, he’s really new. No wonder he’s so tiny.”

Little Joule was all grey, his armor soft and squishy. His big bright optics looked as though they’d just opened yesterday. They fixated intensely on Wheeljack. Wheeljack glanced between the bitlit and it’s carrier. Starscream’s wings were drooped, his eyes dull and tired. Every part of his plating seemed sagged, all of his attention resting on the new spark in his arms.

“I should probably get him home soon,” Starscream said, sifting slightly in his seat. “He’ll be getting fussy soon.”

Wheeljack took a seat on the bench, still staring at the sparkling.

“What? He didn’t get his fussy fill during the ceremony?”

“A sparkling’s work is never done.”

“An’ they got such hard lives, don’t they,” Wheeljack leaned back a bit. “Hey, uh, could I maybe- give you my number?”

Starscream lifted a brow. “I thought you weren’t going to make any moves.”

It took Wheeljack a moment before the joke made it through. “Oh- haha. Yeah. No, not a move. I’m just- I just.”

Any semblance of smile fell from Starscream’s lips. “Pity,” he said.

“No. No, not pity. I mean, if you see it that way I don’t wanna make you feel-” Wheeljack stopped talking. “I don’t know.”

Starscream’s smirk returned. He puffed, putting his wrist out. “Feel free.”

Wheeljack practically leaped at the chance. He plugged his wrist port into Starscream’s and transferred the number.

“Lines always open,” Wheeljack said, retracting his cable. “I ain’t got a life.”

Starscream smiled. “Seems like it,”

Joule squirmed in Starscream’s arms, reaching his servos up and clenching his tiny fists. He made a little sound, demanding attention. Starscream immediately gave it.

“I need to get him home. I’m running low on reserves.”

“Alright. Well, get home safe.”

“You have fun getting hammered. You’re an irresponsible adult now.”

“Can’t get hammered. Got a job interview tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t get hammered,” Starscream smirked just before taking off.

Wheeljack watched him go. For a while Wheeljack just sat on the bench. As much as he loved going out and doing stupid things with his friends Wheeljack wasn’t in any sort of mood to be surrounded by people. Especially not overcharged people fresh off college.

Wheeljack went home. He threw the graduation gown over the chair and fell into berth. Graduating was more tiring than Wheeljack imagined it would be.  

 

* * *

 

Wheeljack didn’t know how long he’d been asleep. But he knew when his roommate burst through the door half overcharged and singing a pub song.

“Ey, Wheeljack, where were you?” Trailbreaker asked. “You missed all the fun.”

Wheeljack rolled over in bed. “Fell asleep,” he mumbled, rubbing his eye. “Seems you had a good time, though.”

Trailbreaker waved a hand, carefully taking a seat in the chair in the corner. “Probably better you didn’t come. Do you still have that interview tomorrow?”

Wheeljack sat up slightly so he was sitting against the wall. “Yeah. You got a place next week right?”

Trailbreaker smiled, shaking his head. “Nope. Internship from last summer wants to pick me up.”

“Oh, nice. Good for you,” Wheeljack took another moment to think about it. “But- wait, wasn’t that-”

Trailbreaker nodded. “Helix.”

“Oh, frag,” Wheeljack sighed, putting his palm to his forehead. “How soon do you leave?”

“They want me to start in two weeks.”

“That soon?”

Trailbreaker nodded. “Got the call yesterday. Sorry Jack.”

“Nah, I mean- I mean I’m happy for you, an’ If I get this job I can pay rent on my own easy, but It’ll still-” Wheeljack cut himself off.

“I know, I know. But hey, look on the bright side. With the salary you’ll be raking in you could afford an apartment on your own twice as big as this one.”

“What’s the point of a big house if there ain’t no one livin’ in it with me,” Wheeljack muttered.

Trailbreaker drew his lips into a hard line. “You’ll make it buddy,” he stood, walking over to the bed. “Who knows,” he shrugged. “Maybe you’ll finally get laid.”

Wheeljack scoffed, swatting Trailbreaker away.

“‘Course that’s all you can think about.”

Trailbreaker chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you alone. Get some sleep, got a big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

Trailbreaker left Wheeljack alone. Wheeljack didn’t go back to sleep. He laid down but didn’t sleep. A lot of thoughts raced through his mind, none of them useful.

But one thought in particular poked out. Two big eyes. And a very tired seeker.


	2. Chapter 2

Joule wouldn’t stop crying. No matter how much Starscream tried to feed him, coddle him, make him comfortable, it was never enough. Starscream took Joule out of his crib, kept a good hold on his head, and took a seat on the bed. “Please please, please, stop crying,” he whispered. “Please, please. What do you want? I don’t know what you want.”

Joule continued to wale, pulling his little arms in and clenching his fists. Starscream bobbed the bitlit and walked around the one room apartment. “Shh, it’s alright. You’re alright. We’re alright,” Starscream pulled the baby close to his chest and opened his spark chamber and sat back down. The crying eased into small keens and whines. Joule kneaded at his carrier’s chest, grabbing at the edge of it and pressing his cheek just beside the spark chamber.

Starscream sighed, relaxing his plating. They stayed like that for a moment before someone baged on the door. Joule jolted slightly and started crying again. Starscream groaned, closing his chest plate. He put Joule on his shoulder and answered the door. It was the landlord.

“I got another noise complaint,” he said. “Third one this month. I told you-”

“I know what you told me. And I told you he’s a sparkling. They cry.”

“Listen, buddy, don’t be gettin’ an attitude with me because you can’t shut the thing up.”

Joule cried harder against his carrier’s shoulder.

“Listen, it ain’t just the kid,” The Landlord said, handing Starscream a datapad. “Rent’s a month late. I want you out by next week.”

Starscream read over the notice. “You’re evicting me?”

“Out by next week.”

“But I don’t have anywhere to go-”

“You got the warnings. If you ain’t out by next week you’ll be forced out.”

Starscream scowled. “Fine,” he spat. He slammed the door and stomped back to his bed. Joule was still crying. Starscream laid down and let the sparkling lay on his chest.

Starscream hadn’t gotten an interview since graduation. No one would take him. Whether is be because of wings, or his GPA, or the sparkling. No one wanted an irresponsible seeker. It didn’t look good. Even being a cashier, or a restock person seemed out of the question at that point.

But Starscream’s funds were running low, soon they would be gone. He was running on fumes, literally. Joule took every ounce of energy he had, whether it be in the form of fuel, or sleep, Joule got all of it.

Starscream sat up. Joule had cried himself to sleep. Starscream rested him in the crib and fell into the berth. He groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. “God, Primus,” he whispered. He let his hands drop back to the berth. He shook his head. “What are we gonna do?”

Starscream turned his head and looked at the crib across from the berth. Joule looked so peaceful. His little chest moved up and down, his tiny fists clenched and unclenched, twitching. Unaware of where he was or what sort of situation he was in. He was so soft, his armor still hardly developed. Still grey. There was a little bit more shape to him, with formerly chubby shapeless limbs taking the form of partly developed plating. He was a little boxy it seemed.

Starscream took a deep vent. He rubbed his eyes again and took a moment to just think. Just think about what to do. Where they could be in a week. All of their stuff out on the street. Sleeping on a bench.

What Starscream would have to do.

Starscream shook his head. There were options. Very very very limited options. But options. Maybe that one bot, what was his name? Wheeljack? Starscream had his number. He seemed nice, didn’t make any moves, genuinely concerned and not at all judgemental. At least he hadn’t asked about Joule’s Sire.

Starscream typed the number into his communicator. It wasn’t too late. Starscream dialed and let it ring. As soon as Wheeljack answered Starscream hung up. He tossed the phone to the end of the berth and sighed.Fatigue tugged at his eyes, despite his efforts to keep them open. Eventually he gave in.  

  
  


* * *

  
  


Starscream needed the bring Joule everywhere. Which didn’t help him get or keep interviews. And it especially didn’t help him get a job. Sometime it was just rules, or the facility Starscream would be working in was too unsafe for a sparkling to be present. Sometimes it was because the employer hated sparklings. And sometimes it was because the employer hated Seekers and “their kind.”

One week came and Starscream found himself sitting outside the office for his first interview since graduation. It was a seeker friendly business, and when Starscream had told them that he would have to bring a sparkling along the representative sounded almost delighted.

“Starscream?” a purple bot with yellow detailing peaked her head out of the office.

Starscream stood, letting Joule hang on his middle with the magnets in his hands. The interviewer shook Starscream’s hand.

“Hi, I’m Turbine. If you’ll just follow me back,” she spared a glance at Joule before they ducked into the office. It was a nice office, clean, with straight lines and hardly used furniture. Turbine’s desk was clean and well kept, with very little on it besides Starscream’s resume and a couple of light pens.

“So,” Turbine said, settling into her seat. She smiled at Joule, “Who is this little blessing?”

Starscream absently put his hand on Joule’s head. “This is Joule.”

“Aww, adorable. How old?”

“A month.”

“Ooh, what a little sweetspark,” Turbine looked over Starscream’s resume. “I don’t see it in this resume, but do you have any office experience before this?”

“Not much. I worked on the computer and in an office a lot during my internship, but that was a couple of years ago now.”

“Well, as long as you know how to use a computer you should be find. And considering your degree, I’m assuming you know how to use a computer,” she chuckled, putting the resume back on the desk. “How do you do with people?”

“I am a very good salesperson,” Starscream started out. “But I am not always the best with social talk.”

Turbine nodded. “Well, I think it can be hard for everyone. I’m going to give you a few situations, and you just tell me how you would handle them, alright?”

Starscream nodded.

“Okay, so, you have a problem with one of your co-workers. How would you handle it?”

Depending on what they’re doing, give them a fair warning, or get them fired.  

“I would try to resolve it peacefully. And if I can’t, then I’ll go to HR.”

“Alright,” Turbine jotted something down. “What sort of things are you bothered by, normally, in the workplace or at school?”

“Incompetence.”

Turbine smiled slightly. “Fair,” she muttered.

The interview went on. At the end of it Turbine offered Starscream the job. Starscream perked, his wings hitching up.

“Really?”

Turbine smiled. “Yes, really.”

Joule rolled his head back and made a little noise. Starscream smiled down at the sparkling and gently pet it’s head.

“And please, feel free to start as soon as it's convenient for you. If you need to take a couple of months with your sparkling before you start, or bring him in, whatever is best for you.”

Starscream glanced between Turbine and Joule.

“I can start as soon as you’ll let me,” Starscream said.

Turbine furrowed her brow. “Are you sure?” she asked.

Starscream nodded. “Yes. Yes I am sure.”

“Alright, well, you can start this weekend. But if anything comes up, please, don’t hesitate to call. We are more than willing to work with you.”

“I appreciate that. But it’s hard to keep an apartment without any money.”

Turbine nodded. “I understand. Offer still stands if anything changes.”

“Thank you.”

Joule made a call for attention. Turbine walked them out, giving one last little wave to Joule.

Starscream flew home in a better mood than he started the day with. Starscream flipped into his bipedal mode in front of his apartment building. The first thing he noticed was the pile of his stuff on the curb.

“Scrap,” he swore, racing up the steps.

He found the landlord in front of his door watching a couple bots tear apart Starscream’s apartment.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Starscream said.

“I told you to be out in a week. It’s been a week.”

“I got a job-”

“Too late. Rent’s already past due. An’ I want you an’ yer little bastard outta my building.”

“You can’t just shove us out on the street.”

“I can and I will. Now get out. Get out before I make you get out.”

Starscream growled. His claws threatened his palm, itching to reach forward and rip that little man’s throat out.

Starscream didn’t move, though. He didn’t move until he spotted one of the men tearing apart his apartment emerge with Joule’s blanket and crib. Starscream snatched the blanket out of the mech’s hand. The crib was crap, but the blanket was Joule’s. It was a soft mesh, meant to last almost as long as Joule would. It was warm, and soft, and Joule slept on it every night.

Starscream wrapped the blanket around his fist and stormed out of the building. Joule was still latched into Starscream’s middle, content, despite the yelling. Starscream walked until he reached a corner. He sat himself down against a building and pulled his knees up to cover Joule. He rested his blanket wrapped hand on Joule’s back. Joule made a little noise, his face scrunching slightly. He slapped his lips together and kneaded at his Carrier’s plating.

Starscream drew his lips into a hard line. He checked his reserves. They were low. Joule wouldn’t be eating until his carrier ate. And Starscream wasn’t so sure where the next refuel was coming from. Energon was free, technically. But people didn’t just give it to other people. It wasn’t in fountains on the street, or a hand out in restaurants. Energon was free.

If you had a place to put it.

Joule whined, kneading at Starscream’s plating.

“Don’t worry,” Starscream cooed. “Soon. You’ll eat soon.”

Starscream let the gears turn in his head. He took out his communicator and looked through his contacts. There were five people in his contacts. One of them was dead to him, one was off planet, two were in a city far far away, and the last one was just a short flight away.

Starscream dialed just a flight away. And then he hung up.

And he dialed again.

“Ah-ha!” Wheeljack called, answering barely after the first ring. “Got ya this time. Who is this?”

Starscream took a moment to answer.

“It’s-” he cleared his vocalizer. “It’s Starscream. This is Wheeljack, right?”

“Oh, Starscream. How ya been? Yeah, it’s Wheeljack.”

“I’ve been- we’ve been- fine. I was wondering, Wheeljack, if you maybe wanted to get together. To just- talk.”

“Sure, when you wanna meet up?”

“Are you free today?”

“Free right now. We can meet at a cafe or somethin’, meet in the middle if you want.”

Starscream shrugged, “wherever you want to go. I don’t have much money, though-”

“That’s fine. I’ll pay for ya.”

“Oh no, you don’t-”

“My treat.”

“Well, if you insist.”

“Great. I’ll see ya soon then, I’ll text you the cafe.”

“See you soon,” Starscream smirked. He cut the line and tucked his phone back in his subspace. “that was easy,” he muttered. Starscream hauled himself to his feet. “sap.”

Starscream swaddled Joule in his blanket and waited for the text telling them where to go. Once received Starscream tucked Joule safely in his cockpit and took off.


	3. Chapter 3

Starscream got three little energon cakes and a tall glass of energon from the tap. The cakes were an energon jell covered in crunchy little crystals. Starscream scarfed those down in half a second. The energon he gulped in less than a minute. 

“So, how have you been?” he asked, adjusting the fussy Joule in his lap and smiling at Wheeljack. 

Wheeljack had not taken barely a sip of his drink. 

“Oh I’ve been good,” Wheeljack said. “How about you, how you an’ the little tyke doin’?” Wheeljack’s eyes smiled, he wagged a finger at the fussy little guy. 

Starscream removed the pump from his chest and plugged it into Joule’s belly. The sparkling calmed almost immediately as nourishment began feeding across the tube. 

Starscream struggled to keep his smile alive. He glanced at Joule for a moment.He brushed a bit of dust from his cheek and smiled. 

“We’re surviving.”

The smile in Wheeljack’s eyes fell. 

“You got a place to stay? Energon an’ all?”

Starscream worked his jaw. Her prused his lip slightly and sighed. 

“I’m afraid we’ve just lost our apartment,” Starscream put on a weak smile. “But I just got a job- a month or two in a halfway and we should be just fine.”

Wheeljack perked. “You can stay with me.”

Starscream waved a hand. “Oh no, Wheeljack, I would just hate to intrude.”

“No no no, no intrusion at all. I just lost my roommate, hate livin’ in an empty house. I got more than enough to let ya stay there.”

“But Wheeljack-” Starscream stifled his smirk and replaced it with doe eyes. “I don’t have anything to repay you with.”

“Consider yer company payment enough. Like I said, hate livin’ in an empty apartment. Spare room’s all yours.”

Starscream’s entire frame eased. “Thank you.”

“You got anyone to help you move your stuff?”

“I don’t have any stuff,”

Starscream gave Joule his finger in place of a pacifier. “My landlord threw it all in the trash,” he bounced his bitlit. “His blanket is the only thing I have left.”

“Aw, well that ain’t right. You need any stuff? There’s a berth an’ all in the room already but if Joule needs a crib-”

Starscream put his hand up. “Thank you, but no. He’ll just sleep in the middle of the berth until I can raise enough money for a crib. I don’t need to owe you more than I already do.”

“You ain’t gonna owe me anything. What kinda mech would I be to ask for compensation from a single parent struggling to find work? Sure you got a job, but it don’t mean your whole situation is fixed. Least I can do is give you a safe place to stay ‘till you get back on your feet. No charge. No favors.”

Starscream smiled. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

Starscream was aware there was some risk in moving in with a person he hardly knew, but right now he was desperate. Wheeljack had always been in good standing with everyone Starscream had met. He wasn’t framist, he wasn’t creepy, and he was smart. The last thing Starscream expected from Wheeljack was trouble, but that didn’t mean he’d let his guard drop. Especially considering the precious cargo Starscream carried with him everywhere.

“Ya want another cup of energon? Seemed pretty hungry, the two’a you.”

Starscream slid the glass forward. “Please.”

Wheeljack sprang to his feet and went to the counter for a fill up. Starscream leaned back in his seat and watched, a satisfied smirk on his face. It was sad how easily Wheeljack could be taken advantage of. He was a good person. Starscream knew for sure he could wrap him around his little finger. But Starscream wasn’t so cruel. Right now all he wanted was a place for Joule to sleep and be safe. There was always the potential for using Wheeljack’s altruism to his advantage at a later date. 

Wheeljack returned with the energon. Starscream didn’t chug it this time. 

“Well, if you wanna leave here and head right to my place we can. Just a few blocks away.”

Strarscream looked out the window at the clean streets and running businesses. He furrowed his brow. “You live around here?”

Wheeljack nodded. “Yeah, live right up-” he pointed in the direction behind Starscream. “Up that street there.”

Starscream glanced over his shoulder. “And you lived there while you were in school?”

“Yeah. Pretty high rise place. Not my usual digs, but one’a my lab partners got a huge grant, and with some of the money we could afford it. I was gonna move out but-” he shrugged. “Eh. No real reason to. Buddy’a mine suggested I buy a house, but I got enough empty space as it is.”

Starscream whipped around, wide eyed. “You can afford a place like that by yourself?”

Wheeljack suddenly seemed sheepish. He scratched at his finial and tried his best not to look at Starscream. 

“Yeah,” Wheeljack said. “Place I’m at. They pay me a lot. Like- a lot a lot,” he shrugged, regaining some of his confidence. “They liked my work.”

“They must have. You have it made.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Starscream furrowed his brow. “You guess?” he snapped. “You have a nice apartment, in a nice neighborhood, and more than enough money to support yourself ten times over. What do you mean you ‘guess’?”

Wheeljack scratched at his finial, retreating into himself. “I don’t- have any friends. They all left, or dropped me soon as school ended.”

Starscream scoffed. “So what? I didn’t have any friends. I’ve never had friends. Frag buddies, maybe, acquaintances is even stretching it. You can survive and live without friends.”

Wheeljack’s expression drooped. “I mean- maybe you can. But I can’t. I don’t do well without people around,” he sat up a little straighter. “Actually no, ‘don’t do well’ doesn’t quite cut it. Gets a lot worse than that. I ain’t gonna go into it but- I need people around. I can’t live in an empty house,” he perked. “Which is why I was so excited to get your call. Nobody has tried to talk to me in a month.”

Starscream frowned. “No one? No one at all?”

“I have a lab at work. They send me emails. That’s about it.” 

Starscream pulled back. “Hm. Alright.”

He looked at Joule and found him fast asleep. Starscream vented a sigh of relief. 

“Oh, thank Primus.”

Wheeljack leaned over the table a bit. “Little guy asleep?” he asked. 

“Yes. Finally. He cries all night. Maybe I’ll take a nap once we get back to your place so I can stay up.”

“Ey, whatever you need to do. When you wanna take off?”

“Soon. I don’t want to disturb him too much.”

“Yeah, makes sense. We can stay as long as ya need.”

They stayed for an hour before Joule began to stir again. Starscream, in that time, drank three glasses of energon, and ate two more energon cakes. Starscream tucked Joule carefully in his cockpit and followed Wheeljack back to the apartment. It was part of a larger complex, with three buildings, five stories each. They were new, sleek, and clean. 

Starscream had never lived in a building so nice. 

Wheeljack’s apartment entered right into the kitchen. It had a counter that wrapped around the right wall and came out in an L shape. Behind it sat the living room complete with a blue couch and chairs. And a vid-screen too big for one person. Off of that room was the hallway, which lead to the two bedrooms, and a washroom. It wasn’t a huge apartment, but it was clean, with white walls, and big windows. The building was right next to a park, and all the appliances, and things were new. 

Starscream stood in the middle of the kitchen with his mouth hung open. It snapped shut when he felt a presence behind him. 

“Not huge,” Wheeljack said. “But nice. Too nice. Could use another person.” 

Starscream didn’t have anything to say. 

“You want me to show you to your room?” Wheeljack asked. 

Starscream just nodded. 

Wheeljack took Starscream to the bedroom at the end of the hallway. It was already furnished with a big berth that had pillows, blankets, and a soft berthpad, the whole nine yards. 

Starscream carefully placed Joule on his back in the center of the berth. As Starscream moved around the berth Joule’s eyes followed him. Starscream smled. 

“Go to sleep,” he cooed, leaning down and giving Joule a kiss on the forehead. 

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Wheeljack said, backing out of the door. “Holler if ya need me.”

As soon as the door clicked shut Starscream sank to his knees. He rested his head on a pillow of arms, and watched Joule’s eyes as they slowly, slowly, began to close. Joule seemed determined to keep his eyes on his carrier. As soon as he was asleep Starscream let his eyes drift closed. 

All the weight fell from his shoulders, knowing Joule was warm, and safe. Finally, Starscream could sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Wheeljack always left before Starscream woke up. Little Joule was certainly a noisy sparkling. Since they’d moved in Wheeljack’s sleep had gone down. Not by much, considering how much sleep he got in the first place, but enough to be noticeable. Wheeljack tried to subtlety help the situation by getting a pacifier, which he left on Starscream’s bedside table. 

Wheeljack came back home to find it sitting on his own bedside table, unused. When he tried to give it back the next day, he found it back in the same spot. After that he gave up. 

Later in the month, when Starscream got his first paycheck, there was fifty shanix left on the counter with a note that just said ‘Rent’ on it. Wheeljack promptly left the money on Starscream’s bedside table, and never saw it again. For the first month they lived together Starscream stayed mostly to himself. He went to work from six in the morning to three in the afternoon. Wheeljack always went to work at five in the morning and came home around four or five. 

Normally by the time Wheeljack got home Starscream was laying Joule down for his nap, and sometimes going down for a nap himself. Despite Wheeljack’s insistence, Starscream slept on the floor and let Joule have the berth. One would think a months worth of paychecks would be enough to buy a crib, but something else must have been eating Starscream’s funds because he didn’t buy one until the first day of their second month together. 

Starscream put on his sweet voice and asked if Wheeljack could help him build it. Wheeljack built the entire crib by himself while Starscream tended to Joule the entire time. When it was all set up Wheeljack didn’t have to be asked twice to please leave. “Please leave” were not the exact words used, but it wasn’t hard to pick up what Starscream was putting down. 

The crib didn’t seem to help sate poor little Joule at night. 

Wheeljack rose from his berth one hour before he was to leave for work. On heavy pedes he paded to Starscream’s room where he could make out Joule’s cries. And Starscream’s. 

“Please, please,” Starscream begged, thin tears streaking down his cheeks. He held Joule in his lap, spark bared, desperately trying to help the poor sparkling go back to sleep. “Please go back to sleep. I don’t know what you want.”

Wheeljack closed the door and knocked instead. 

It was hardly a moment before Starscream got there, tears wiped from his eyes, spark away. He bounced the crying Joule. 

“I’m sorry, Wheeljack,” he apologized immediately. “I know, he’s loud. I can’t get him back to sleep.”

“Ey, it’s fine,” Wheeljack said as softly as he could over the crying. “I just came to make sure you were okay. Do you need help? Is there anything I can do?”

Starscream pulled Joule away. “No,” he said. He tried to relax his stiff frame. “No. I just- I-” he bit his lip and looked at the sparkling. “I don’t know what to do,” he cried. “I don’t know if he’s in pain, or if he’s hungry, or if he needs to be burped, or played with- if he’s tired,” he sniffled, wiping his eye. “I’m just a mess.”

“Well, hey, do you wanna try the pacifier? Just for tonight? If your finger ain’t working.”

Starscream hardly took a second to think about it. “You still have it?”

“Yeah, it’s just sittin’ in my drawer.”

“Yes- yes, please, I’ve run out of ideas.”

“Sure thing, I’ll go get it.”

Wheeljack kept the pacifier in the top drawer of his bedside table. It was safe there, since the drawer was practically empty. Wheeljack gave it a quick rinse anyways, and dried it off, before returning to Starscream. 

As soon as Joule took it into his mouth the crying was silenced. Starscream’s entire frame relaxed. 

“Thank god,” he sighed. He looked at Wheeljack. “And thank you.”

“No problem. I can take that one back whenever if you wanna buy your own. Which I’m assuming you do, considerin’ you gave it back.”

Starscream gave Joule a small series of kisses on the head. “So fussy,” another kiss. “So so fussy.”

Joule rested his head on his Carrier’s shoulder and closed his eyes. 

“I don’t like charity,” Starscream said, adjusting the pacifier so Joule had a better grip on it. “So don’t be surprised if I am- resistant. To your help.”

“I understand. I’ll try to stay out of the way.”

“I appreciate it.”

“You gonna go back to sleep?”

“I was thinking about it.”

“Alright. Well, I’m up if ya need me.”

Starscream shut the door and Wheeljack went to the kitchen. Wheeljack made himself a pancake, and a cup of caffeinated energon. Before he left for work he checked in on Starscream, who was fast asleep. 

Wheeljack was tempted to wake him up to to make sure he got to work on time, but the temptation soon abandoned him. Starscream deserved some sleep. Who was Wheeljack to take that away from him. Only Joule was allowed to do that. 

Wheeljack worked in a lab and an office all day, with nary a person in sight. The people at the company tended to leave him alone, besides the occasional errand boy who dropped down to deliver a datapad Wheeljack needed a physical copy of. Those people didn’t usually stick around long enough to say more than a hello and a goodbye. 

Wheeljack was happy to have someone living with him now to help combat the overwhelming feeling of loneliness that often hung over him. There was a little hole in his spark where people were supposed to be. But Wheeljack didn’t have any family, having been forged, and he didn’t have any friends. So right now Starscream and Joule were all he had, and he barely had them. 

Starscream was a private bot, and a protective parent. It showed in the way he kept Joule away from everyone, and everything. Wheeljack supposed he couldn’t blame him. Civility was not guaranteed for Seekers, and some of the worst people went for their young. 

Wheeljack was far from one of the worst people. He loved sparklings, and he was far from a framist, but Starscream would never let him hold Joule. No matter how much Wheeljack wanted to. 

Wheeljack found himself smiling thinking about that little guy. Having a sparkling in the house was like a little light. So young, so new, so innocent. His little laugh. And the way Starscream looked at him. Joule was his entire world, anyone could see it. By the glint in his eye, and the sincerity of his smile. Starscream would tear down Cybertron and the sky for Joule. 

The thought helped Wheeljack get through his workday. 

When he returned home, for the first time since they’d lived together, Starscream was in the living room. He had Joule in his lap and was assaulting him with kisses, and raspberries, and baby talk. 

“Who’s a fussy sparkling, are you a fussy sparkling? You’re so silly,”

Joule smiled and keened, trying to capture his carrier’s head everytime Starscream dipped to give Joule’s tummy a raspberry. 

Starscream giggled, letting Joule hug him around the head. 

Starscream rested his head for a moment and turned it to look around Wheeljack. 

“Wheeljack,” he greeted. 

“Starscream.”

Starscream sat up straight and gathered Joule into his arms as he stood. “How was work?”

“Same as ever. Hungry? I could make ya somethin’.”

To Wheeljack’s surprise, instead of going to his room, Starscream sauntered over to the kitchen. 

“I could eat. I’m going to have to feed him soon, so I should.”

“Whataya in the mood for?”

“I don’t really care. Make whatever.”

Starscream sat at the counter and continued to coddle Joule while Wheeljack made pasta. Something Starscream had apparently never eaten before judging by the way he looked at it. 

For a long time he just poked it with his fork. 

“It’s pasta,” Wheeljack said. “It ain’t gonna kill ya. You watched me make it.”

“I watched Joule play with his fingers and had my eyes covered for most of peekaboo. I didn’t pay any attention to you.”

“Just try it. It’s good. And if you get sick feel free to smack me across the face.”

Starscream narrowed his eyes. “Have you ever made this before?”

“I did all the cooking for this house.”

“Hm.”

“Do you really not trust me that much?”

“I’m wary of unfamiliar food. So shoot me.” 

Wheeljack rolled his eyes. “You want me to go first? I’ll got first,” he retracted his mask and started shoveling food in his mouth. “See? Good. Mmm.”

The hum seemed to draw Joule’s attention. He rolled his head back and did his best to find the source of the noise. Wheeljack smiled and wagged a finger at him. 

Starscream abandoned his skepticism and ate his entire plate. Then went in for seconds. After about a half hour Joule started kneading at Starscream’s plating. The demand was met immediately. As soon as the tube was plugged into his belly Joule settled in. 

“Have you always had that tube?” Wheeljack asked before he could stop himself. 

Starscream didn’t seem phased. “It grows in when you’re carrying. Supposedly it goes away when they’re done.”

“How will you know when he’s done?”

“The plug goes away. It helps a lot with weaning, because the opening gets smaller and smaller until it eventually disappears. If you don’t use the tube for a while it goes away, too.”

Wheeljack nodded. “I don’t know much about sparklings.”

“I can tell.”

“I never had any siblings. How about you?”

“I have two brothers. But they’re in a whole different city. Also they don’t like me.”

“Oh.”

“You were forged, right?”

Wheeljack pulled back slightly. That wasn’t a question people were usually so forward with. 

“Yeah. That’s right. What uh- what about you?”

“Cold Constructed.”

“Ah. How uh- how was the carrying?”

Cold Constructed bots had notoriously bad sparks for carrying. Their gestation tanks were fine, if they had one, but the sparks weren’t designed to create and support another spark. 

“It wasn’t bad. I have a strong spark. Surprising, since it’s one of three. I’m lucky enough to have a gestation, so I didn’t have to support it for too long.”

Wheeljack nodded. “That’s good.”

Wheeljack had to hold off asking about a Sire. One lesson was enough in that. Starscream didn’t want to talk about it, so Wheeljack wasn’t going to ask. 

Though, Wheeljack had a pretty good guess. 

The fact that Starscream had cheated on his ex boyfriend added another factor Wheeljack knew nothing about. He supposed, as Joule started growing in colors, and coming more into his form, the Sire would come out with him. 

“You don’t mind cleaning up, do you?”

Wheeljack snapped out of his thoughts. “Huh?”

“You don’t mind cleaning up yourself, do you?”

“Oh. No, no. I can take care’a this.”

“Good, thanks.”

Starscream slipped from his stool and went to his room. Wheeljack cleaned up after dinner and retired to his room for the night to keep at the work he hadn’t finished at the office. Starscream had been surprisingly engaged. That was nice. Sometimes it felt like the only reminder Wheeljack had that anyone lived with him was a crying sparkling. 

Hopefully Starscream was starting to come out of his shell a bit, and would start spending more time with Wheeljack. Of course, Wheeljack wouldn’t try and force it, but it would be nice to have someone to spend time with. When Starscream was ready. 

Around two in the morning Wheeljack laid down to go to sleep. 

At about 2:01 Joule started to cry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awkward chapter. Not angst. Fluff to follow.

Starscream appreciated Wheeljack’s ability to cook and clean, and in general keep a pretty uniform household. A uniform household he made very little use of, as most of Wheeljack’s time was spent in his room. The vid-screen almost never got used, and the living room was hardly lived in. 

Sometimes when Starscream got home he would lounge on the couch with Joule and watch some sparkling cartoons. They were silly, and boring, but a nice break from the stresses of life. Joule usually just chewed on his hands during vid-screen time. Someday, after student loans were taken care of, Starscream would buy Joule some toys. Maybe even a playset. So he could have something real to play with. 

Wheeljack had offered to buy Joule some toys, but Starscream promptly shot him down. Wheeljack didn’t let Starscream do anything. No cooking, no cleaning, no paying rent. Starscream was frankly starting to get tired of it. If Wheeljack was refusing compensation, Starscream could only come up with one thing he must have wanted. It made him roll his eyes. Wheeljack was kind, sure, but he was still just a bot. People could be so tiresome. 

Wheeljack had always been a shy bot. Or- no, not shy. A bot who kept to himself. He wasn’t one to come out and ask for what he wanted from people. Not unless it involved engineering. In the lab he could be very clear cut and decisive. Starscream had doubts it was the same way with a few specific wants and needs. 

Starscream waited another week. Wheeljack made no moves. He did not accept anymore of the payment Starscream tried to give him. So Starscream decided to just go for it. 

In the middle of their second month together Starscream put Joule down for his nap, and returned to the kitchen where Wheeljack was still cleaning up after dinner. 

“Hey,” Wheeljack said, keeping his voice low. “What’s up? Joule sleeping?”

“Went down without a hitch.”

“That’s good.”

Starscream sat down at the counter. “Wheeljack?”

“Yeah?”

Starscream spread his legs on the stool. Wheeljack wasn’t even looking. 

“I want to thank you for being so kind to me. Letting me stay here. Paying for everything.”

Wheeljack glanced over his shoulder. “It’s not problem. I like havin’ someone else-” something seemed to catch his attention. He turned back to putting the dishes away. “I like havin’ someone else in the house.”

Starscream rolled his eyes and climbed off the stool. Maybe this required a different approach. 

“I was thinking about watching a movie. For a while, while Joule is asleep. Would you like to join me?”

Wheeljack turned all the way around. “Sure. I’d be up for that.”

Starscream smirked. “I’ll go put it on then.”

Starscream made his way over to the couch, keeping his wings high and his hips swaying. He made a show of picking up the remote and sitting on the couch and crossing his legs. It wasn’t long before Wheeljack joined him. He still had his mask retracted from dinner, which was odd, but felt like a tell tale sign to Starscream that Wheeljack had gotten and accepted the message. 

When Wheeljack sat down he sat a safe distance away. Starscream moved to almost close the gap between them, but left an inch just incase. Wheeljack didn’t move away. 

Starscream didn’t pay any attention to the movie. He worked out in his mind how to make this work. How to get a bot that kept to himself to give him a solid answer. Hopefully, if Wheeljack didn’t want it, he would just shove Starscream off. 

Being forward felt like the best bet in this case. 

Starscream slipped his hand into Wheeljack’s. The plating seemed to stiffen, but didn’t pull away. Starscream went to nip at Wheeljack’s finial. It flashed a bright pink, making Starscream pause for a moment. 

Starscream shifted and sat up on his knees. He dotted Wheeljack’s jawline with kisses and moved a hand down his thigh. Wheeljack seemed receptive to the touches, even moving a hand to Starscream’s waist. So Starscream shoved on. He climbed over Wheeljack’s lap and captured his lips in a ferocious kiss.

Wheeljack pulled Starscream closer. 

“This is what you want, right?” Starscream vented through kisses. 

“Whataya mean?”

Wheeljack asked. 

“From me. This will do, right?”

Wheeljack seemed to pause. He broke the kiss and pulled away so he could see Starscream’s face. 

Wheeljack furrowed his brow. “Whataya mean?”

Starscream grabbed Wheeljack by the cheeks and looked his straight in the eye. 

“This is all you want, right? And you’ll let me keep living here?”

Wheeljack’s hands dropped from Starscream’s waist. Wheeljack put his mask back in place. 

“You think I want interface in exchange for you living here?”

Starscream sneered. “You sound surprised. You’re not taking anything else so-”

“No,” Wheeljack shook his head, cringing. “No, no, no, I don’t- ulgh- I ain’t a guy like that. What kinda person do you take me for?”

Starscream was taken aback. “You were just about to accept!”

“Yeah, because I thought you wanted to do this. Not use it as payment.”

“So what? What’s the difference?”

“Should you even be having interface? You just had Joule two months ago.”

Starscream rolled his eyes and sat back on Wheeljack’s lap. 

“I can interface a month after birth,” he huffed. “Well, if you don’t want interface then what do you want? You must want something.”

“Starscream, I told you, I don’t want anything. I just like having someone living in the house with me.”

Starscream grabbed Wheeljack by the shoulders. 

“But that doesn’t make any sense.”

Wheeljack grabbed his wrists. “It does. I just- I don’t wanna talk about it, alright? I have- problems. Having people around helps. Can’t that be enough?”

“Do you not want to interface with me?”

“I ain’t gonna interface with a bot who just wants to use it as payment. If you change your mind, and you’re attracted to me, and you wanna go at it, then I’m okay with that. But not right now.”

Starscream scoffed, climbing off the lap. “You are so strange. The offer is closed, by the way, so don’t come back to me asking for a favor when you decide you want some.”

“I can assure you, I won’t.” 

Starscream scoffed again. It was then that Joule began to cry. Starscream stormed off to tend to him. 

He scooped the fussy Joule out of the crib and cradled him in the crook of his arm. Heat rose in his cheeks from embarrassment. 

Stupid Wheeljack, and his stupid conscious. Who wouldn’t want to frag a seeker? So what if it was compensation, interface was interface. It wasn’t like Starscream hadn’t done it before. For frags sake, doing it for compensation was his most frequent reason for doing it. That, and when his ex wanted to, but that wasn’t payment, that was just satisfying a need. Helped calm the stupid bot down so Starscream could lick his wounds in peace. 

Starscream grumbled to himself and Joule. “I hope your Sire isn’t that deadbeat. You’d never know him.”

Starscream sat on the berth and started to feed the sparkling. When Joule’s belly was full and his eyes started to drift shut, Starscream gave him a kiss on the head and laid him back in the crib. 

Now was not the time to linger on Wheeljack. Joule would be up again in a couple hours, and Starscream wanted to sleep. They could deal with the issue tomorrow, if they were going to deal with the issue. There was the chance Wheeljack wouldn’t want to talk about it, and pretend it never happened. 

Some of Starscream’s professors had done that, and he didn’t even get the fair grade they promised, so acting as if it never happened had always irked Starscream. He hoped Wheeljack was smart enough not to shove it under the rug. Starscream didn’t like talking, but he also didn’t like charity, so they would have to work out some way for Starscream to pay Wheeljack. 

Starscream was well aware that he could stay there for free and live in his room. Hell, if he wanted to, he didn’t even have to see Wheeljack. That was the original plan. Take advantage of Wheeljack’s kindness until Starscream raised enough money to get his own place again. 

Unfortunately that plan fell through when the school bill came through. With Joule, bills, and a job paying seven shanix an hour, Starscream couldn’t afford to move out. And probably wouldn’t be able to for a while still. 

The least Starscream could do was give Wheeljack a good frag every once in a while. The most he could do was give him fifty shanix. If he didn’t want that, and he didn’t want interface, and he didn’t want Starscream to buy food, or clean the house, then Starscream was out of ideas.

He sighed as he laid down. Hopefully they could clear up everything up tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> my brain cooked this up last night without my permission


End file.
